Improvement in fire-escapes



that@ me 'EDWARD J. HUDSON, O F GOLGOND'A,ILLINOIS.

Letters Patent No. 110,851, dated January 1t), 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-ESCAPES.

The Schedule referred tu these Lettera Patent and making part ni the lame.

To all whom tt may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J'. HUDSON, 'of Golconda, inthe county of' Pope and State of Illinois, have invented a new and improved Fire-Escape; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ot' the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making a part of this specication, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation.

Figure 2 is a plan ofthe carriage and adjust-ing apparatus, the lazy-tongs havingr been removed.

The object of this invention is to provide for the public an improved instrument for reaching the upper rooms of buildings on tire; to this end lhe invention consists in the employment of a device commonly known as a lazy-tongs, for elevating grappling-hooks, ladders, &c., to the windows of the room to'bc entered, and in the employment, in couconuection therewith, oinovcl and effective appliances for guiding and controlling the lazy-tongs, for enabling the workmen to use the device on uneven ground, and for `steadying and supporting the apparatus when ill use, and transporting it from place to place.

In the drawing- A is the frame of the carriage that supports the instrument mounted on wheels B B, by which it can be be moved from place to place.

C is a roller extending across the middle of the frame, and bearing in journal-boxes in the side pieces ot' the frame. l

D is a stout post stepped loosely in a mortise in the roller, so that it can he inclined to one side or the other without moving the roller, while by turning the roller slightly it can be made to incline forward or backward in line with the frame.

E is a small rectangular frame resting on posts E' 1S, directly over roller O.

F is a slotted Slide extending:r across frame E, its ends resting ou shoulder-sor ledges projecting from the inner walls of the frame-timbers, and capable of being slidalong by means of screws s s toward one end or the other ofthe frame E.

G is a rocking platform over slide F, supported by upright rocking arms g g beneath it, which are pivotcd upon the roller O, so that the platform can be moved or swung toward one end or the other of the main frame A of 'the carriage,rthe direction of its movement being at right angles with the direction in which the parts E slide, its slot crossing the slot in part E, likewise at right angles, and the post D exteudiug'up through both slots,'so that, by means of the screws s s, and similar screws, s s', which work in connection with platform G, the post can be inclined in any direction, as may be desired.

H is a lazy-tongs supported upon post D, with the ends of its lower levers connected by cords or chains h h. to a windlass I, furnished wit-h a crank, t', at each end, by turning either of which cranks the lazy-tong can be expanded or contracted at will. f -]t` desired, the po'wer of the cranks can be in creased on one or both sides ofthe machine by means of cog-gearing J.

K K are grappling-hooks; v L is a ladder; and M M are guy-ropes, all attached to the upper end ofthe lazy-tongs, and v N N are short chains or cords attached to the arms of the tongs, and capable of being hooked to eyes 0r hooks upon adjacent arms, so as to' prevent the lazytongs from extending beyond a certain distance.

An instrument thus constructed is to be operated in the following manner:

Upon arriving near the building, the inclination of postvD is adjusted by means of screws s s', according a little, allowing the hooks to catch over the sill, they being guided, it' necessary, by means of the ropes M M. As soon as they are firmly hooked, the. ends of the chains N N are made fast, and the instrument is then ready for immediate use.

When its work is done it is onlynecessary" to unfasten the chains, turn the windlass a little so as to raise the hooks from the window-frame, and then ease the expanded ladde'r slowly down by means of the cranks or cog-gearing, guiding it carefully with the ropes, which may be swung out ou either side for the purpose. f

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. `In combination wit-h the lazy-tongs, the described means for adjusting its iuclination,consisting essontially ofthe rockingpost D, the slotted slides F, rocker G, and the adjusting screws s s', all arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes set forth. 2. The combination of chains or cords Nwiyth a lazy-tongs hre-escapel ladder, substantially as and for the purpose described.

EDWARD J. HUDSON.

Vitnesses:

Jus. M. ABBOTT, M. M'. CLARK. 

